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Total Energy used in an American
household every month
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
1
Appliances
Central Air
Conditioning
Broiler
Frying Pan
Hair Dryer
Radio
Refrigerator-
freezer
Television
Toaster
Vacuum
700
12
16
7
130
40
400
9
10
4
How many KHW per month can you personally save if you decide to really reduce the energy
consumption in your own house? Challenge yourself and see if you can reach really this goal next month!
____________________________________________________________________________________
CONCLUSION: TOWARDS A BETTER WORLD:
Many things have been accomplished this century concerning the prevention of pollution, even if
the effort touches mainly developed countries and there is much more to do yet.
1)
Wastes: Personal responsibility:
81% of solid wastes went to landfills in 1980
67% went there in 1990.
We now recycle, compost and incinerate. AlHamdulillah!
Modern landfills have impermeable clay floors and heavy plastic membranes beneath them to prevent
leaks. They are also capped with thick layers of clay. Many have systems for collecting liquids (leachate)
and for venting or even recycling methane gas. They receive material to control odors, scavengers
spreading diseases and run off.
2)
Helping Progress:
Light weight aluminum cans means less materials used. Steel cans are 60% lighter since the 50’s and glass
bottles 35% and plastic 25% less than the 80’s.
In the 1930’s, commercial laboratories developed compounds of chlorine, fluorine and carbon and similar
bromine-related (halocarbons) compounds as convenient, non-corroding non-toxic and non-flammable
gases used in sprays, air conditioners, and refrigerators. Unfortunately, after some years, they rise into the
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sky and react with the ozone, which they destroy. Scientists are now working on it. And this is only one
example of the progress that have been done do far!
3)
Indoor air quality:
People use more and more indoor plants, and some species are grown only for this purpose.
For a house of 1,500 square feet, 15 to 20 plants are adequate to clean air. Pot the plants with a mixture of
soil and granular charcoal, which absorb and degrade organic pollutants from the air.
Plants that are good to remove pollutants indoors are: chrysanthemum, gerbera daisy, spider plants,
philodendron.
4)
Citizen Action:
Waste watch promotes citizen action and participation in waste issues and policy making; provides
information and education on resources and environmental issues.
Waste watch
1346 Connecticut Ave. N.W.
N 217, Washington, DC 20036
GREENPEACE:
1436 U Street NW
Washington, DC 20009
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